A dicke



A. A. DICKE Oct. 20, 1959 FUNCTION CONTROL MEANS FOR CALCULA'I'ING- MACHINS original Filed March 22, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

S S il Nimm. @MN

Oct. 20, 1959 A. A. DlcKE 2,909,317

FUNCTION .CONTROL MEANS FOR CALCULATING MACHINES original Filed March 22, 1951 2 Sheets-sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O FUNCTION CONTROL MEANS FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Allen A. Dicke, New Bremen, Ohio Original application March 22, 1951, Serial No. 216,943,

now Patent No. 2,709,511, dated May 31, 1955. Divided and this application April 6, 1955, Serial No. y499,728

4 Claims. (Cl. 23S- 605) This invention relates to function control means for calculating machines and is a division of application Serial Number 216,943, led March 22, 1951, now Patent No. 2,709,511.

The invention is applicable to such machines having a platen carrying carriage traversed relative to printing elements for printing items in column formation.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for automatically controlling functions performed by such machines, the selected function being dependent upon the carriage positions, and being determined by tappets on the carriage for each columnar position thereof, each tappet serving to arrest the advance of a feeler, such as a tappet lever, which lever is adapted to set a function control device.

Another object is the provision of an improved tappet which may be used to select one of a plurality of separate functions, whereby all of the tappets in the machine may be identical.

Another object is 'the provision of a tappet having a plurality of holes, or the like for receiving7 a positioning member, such as a clamping bolt, so that the selection of the hole will determine the function to be provided by the tappet.

Another object is to so form such tappets that each hole may provide for two functions, by turning the tappet end for end. 4In this way a tappet may be employed to provide for a number of functions twice the number of holes in the tappet.

By this arrangement the serviceman can readily set or reset the machine, in the field, for any desired function or functions for each carriage position.

Other objects will become apparent from rthe following description taken in connection with the attached drawings showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention and wherein:

Fig. l is a Vertical longitudinal cross-section, on the line 1`1 of Fig. 4 of a machine illustrating one form the invention may take;

Fig. la is an enlarged detail view of a tappet for controlling machine functions, the tappet being shown in six possible effective positions;

Fig. 2 is a time chart;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top view of the machine shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine of Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 and 4 thereof, the numeral 11 designates a bottom plate, and 12 and 13 designate, respectively, the right and left side plates of a machine incorporating the invention in one form. Numerals 14 and 15 designate, respectively, the front and rear carriage supporting rails which are shown in the form of angle bars. 16 and 17 are, respectively, front and rear carriage frame members also formed of angle bars. 18 is a carriage cross member, one being provided at each end and upon which the platen 19 or other device is supported. 18a designates say, four rollers ICC mounted on the carriage and running on the rails 14 and 15. 20 designates generally type carrier mechanism which may be caused to print upon the platen. The carriage may be traversed by any known or suitable means.

Detachably carried on the front carriage frame member 16, as by screws (not shown) is a stop bar 45 upon which are located a plurality of nine Stop blocks 47-1 to 47-9, although any other number than nine may be employed. These stop blocks are of C-shape, as shown in Fig. l, and are preferably held in position by set screws 49 each received in one of a series of conical recesses 51 in the top of the stop bar 45 Fig. 3. Stop blocks 47 through cooperation with other means (not shown) serve selectively to determine the Various columnar positions of the carriage. This may be means such as those shown in application S.N. 216,943 or any other known suitable means.

Referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, each of the stop blocks 47-1 to 47-9 carries suitable tappets for controlling various functions of the machine in accordance with the columnar position of the carriage. lln the form shown, this comprises a U-shaped tappet support bracket 251. Mounted between the horizontal arms of said bracket are a plurality of tappets 257 (twelve being shown) preferably formed as shown enlarged in Fig. la. -Each tappet is formed with three holes 25741, 257-2 and 257-3, one of which receives the clamping bolt 258. Since either end of the tappets may point forwardly each tappet may be in one of six effective positions. Each tappet serves to control the position of the respective one of the twelve tappet levers 259 pivoted at 259a. Normally all the tappet levers will be moved to withdrawn position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 by the universal restoring bar 260, operated by the main operating mechanism. This occurs at about 210 of movement of shaft 107 (Fig. 2, line 6).

However, the bar 260 will be moved to the dotted line position of Fig. 3 at the beginning of each machine operation permitting the tappct levers 259 to move rearwardly to feel the tappets, and take a position determined by the location of its related tappet. Each tappet lever 259 is intergeared, as shown, at its left end with the upper end of an associated vertical lever 261 (Figs. l and 4) pivoted on the pin 261a carried by a fixed part of the machine such as the left side frame 13. Its upper end is formed as a gear sector meshing with the gear sector on the left end of its associated lever 259.

The vertical levers 261 serve to set suitable function controlling members 359. These members may conveniently be control slides such as the horizontal control slides shown in Figs. 2, 10, 11, l2, 13, 29 and 88 of William S. Gubelrnann U.S. Patent 2,226,919.v By forming such slides, say twelve in number in the present machine, with suitable notches such as 365 any desired function control can be secured by using, for example, mechanism such as disclosed in said patent.

It is contemplated that the following functions may be controlled by the tappets on fthe carriage and the mechanism controlled thereby:

Add Counter 1 Subtract Counter l Sub Total Counter l Total Counter 1 Add Counter 2 Subtract Counter 2 Sut Total Counter 2 Total Counter 2, etc., for any number of totalizers Return carriage to No. l position Move carriage to No. 2 or any other position Split printing at preset position Cause Non printing Non print Cents Non print Amount Non print All Print Keyboard Date Print Dayy Only Print Month and Day Print Month, Day and Year Disable Automatic Tabulation Tabulate One Columnv Y Tabulate Skip One Column Tabulate Skip Two Columns Tabulate Skip Three Columns Open Carriage Throat Feed Paper Feed Paper and Open Throat Automatic Cycling g and such other functions as may be required.

i Cooperating with the control slides 359 are a plurality of cross-lingers 363 each forming a part of a bail 364 pivoted at 368. The construction whereby each bail 364 controls the function of a part o-f the machine may be the same as in said rPatent 2,226,919. e

I will be noted that the levers 259 will be operated through the sameangle by an equal difference in tappet face position, but that the gear sections of the different levers 259 will move through distances proportional to their distances from the axis of pivot 25951. By placing the pivot 261a of the levers 261 lthe same distance from the gear segments of levers 261 as the respective gear segments of levers 259 are from pivot 259a the levers 261 will, respectively, receive the same angular movement as the levers 259 and Slides 359 will receive the same movement irrespective of with which lever 261 they are connected. Therefore, the control slides 359 can be made the same irrespective of the position in which they are to be used. This feature would, of course, be equally desirable in the case where the tappet levers are mounted for oscillation about a horizontal axis transverse to the machine.

The oscillation of the tappet lever restoring bar 260 may be effectedin various ways. In the form shown the bar 260 is carried by a lever 261m having a rearwardly extending bevel gear sector 260i). Meshed therewith is shown a bevel gear sector 263 xed to the horizontal shaft 264 journaled in brackets 2.65 and 266 fixed to the frame of the machine. Said shaft carries an upwardly extending arm 267 having a projection 268 cooperating with a cylindrical cam face` on the disc 269 carried by the shaft 107 which is the main operating shaft of the machine. An equally effective way to restore the slides 359, gear sectors 261 and tappet levers 259 would be to move the slides to the left by a universal restoring bar (not shown) operated by the main operating mechamsm.

It will be noted that therconstructions shown and described will serve admirably to accomplish the objects stated above. It is to be understood, however, that the constructions disclosed above are intended merely as illustrativeof the invention and not as limiting as various other modifications therein may be made without departing from the invention as defined by a proper interpretation of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine of the type having a frame member, a carriage translatable relative to said frame member, a platen on said carriage, printing mechanism for printing on paper on said platen and a general operating mechanism serving to operate said printing mechanism, the combination of a plurality of unitary function control tappet structures mounted on the carriage for movement therewith, each tappet structure comprising a bracket, a bolt carried by the bracket vand at least one tappet, said tappet being an elongated platewith a hole therein for said bolt, said hole being so spaced from the ends of said tappet that the distance from one end to the center of the hole is a multiple of said distance from the other end.. l,

2. In a calculating machine of the type having a frame member, a carriage translatable relative to said frame member, a platen on said carriage, printing mechanism for printing on paper on said platen and a general operating mechanism serving to operate said printing-mechanism, the combination of aplurality of unitary function control tappet structures mounted on the carriage for movement therewith, each tappet Structure comprising a bracket, a bolt carried by the bracket, and `at least one tappet, said tappet being an elongated plate with a plurality of holes therein for said bolt, the said holes being so spaced from each other and the ends of the tappets that the distance from the ends to the centers of the holes are multiples of the distance from the center of one of said holes-to one of its ends.

3. An article of manufacture, comprising a tappet for use in a calculating machine of the type having a frame member, a carriage translatable relative to said `frame member, a platen on said carriage, printing mechanism` for printing on paper on said platen and a general operating mechanism serving Vto operate said printing mechanism, said tappet being adapted -for mounting on the carriage for movement therewith, said tappet comprising an elongated plate with a mounting hole therein, said hole being so spaced from the ends of said tappet that the distance from one end to the center of the hole is a multiple of said distance from the other end.

4. An article of manufacture, comprising a tappet for use in a calculating machine of the type having a frame member, a carriage vtranslatable relative'to said frame member, a platen on said carriage, printing mechanism for printing on paper on said platen and a general operating mechanism serving to operate said printing mechanism, said tappet -being-adapted for mounting on the carriage for movement therewith, said tappet compris-ing an elongated plate with a plurality of mounting holes therein, the said holes being so spaced from each other 'and the ends of the tappet that the distance from the ends to the centers of the holes are multiples of the distance from the center of one o-f said holes to one of its ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,817,451 Gubelmann Aug. 4, 1931 2,229,764 Mullerv V lan. 28, 1941 2,229,765 Bower Jan. 28, 1941 2,258,090 Ewald Oct. 7, 1941 2,492,887 Rainey Dec. 27, 1949 2,626,749 Christian et al. Jan. 27, 1953 `2,629,549 Butler Feb. 24, 1953 

